An exhaustive and authoritative investigation into the Christadelphians with links from their own sources as well as insights from former members. Complete examination of their history, organisation, theology, practices, and the challenges they face.

Why Do People Leave?

In seeking to gain a full and balanced picture of any religious community it is often worth
considering why people leave, resign or are
disfellowshipped as well as why they join. This is because organisations by their nature will often present an
aspect intended to convert potential new converts. Those who are committed
will tend to keep any doubts about shortcomings to themselves or downplay their
importance.

The reasons people leave are varied. Some cease to believe in God or decide
that despite believing they would prefer to not follow him. Here are some
other primary objections:

the format adopted tends to be very stale, formal and highly over intellectualised.

the focus on doctrines rather than knowing God and Christ and being like him.

the requirements for fellowship exceed what seems essential for
salvation and the lack of grace implicit in the approach adopted.

the way exclusivism has led to divisions, debates and heartache and how it suppresses
free thought and real Biblical investigations.

it reaches the head but misses the heart.

a recognition that we need more than words and a recognition of a growing need for
God’s Spirit.

a greater recognition of the need to explore our emotions and experiences.

the lack of willingness and ability to confront pressing and difficult issues such as marital problems and abuse within families.

the institutionalisation often lacks relevance to the real issues people are struggling
with and there is a lack of opportunities or venues to do so because sustaining
the formal arrangements uses up people’s time and effort.

There are also some very difficult practical issues which leads to people leaving
such as:

marriage other than with Christadelphians is not acceptable and can lead to exclusion,
although it is more commonly allowed today with an acknowledgement that it is a
sin. This also includes those who are other Christians, but who don’t have
Christadelphian beliefs.

divorce and remarriage often leads to people leaving. Separation tends to
be more acceptable, but remarriage tends to get classified as a form of adultery.
There is more of a question mark over those who separate as a result of their partner’s
adultery, some believing remarriage in such circumstances is permitted.

Over time the need to try to recognise that such problems do occur within the Christadelphian
community and aren’t easily handled by individual congregations has led to the formation
of Care Groups which in the main have tended to move away from the stated position
of the community that all the answers lie in scripture. Many have embraced
recognised worldly psychological perspectives and in fact proclaim the need for
professional worldly qualifications. This movement in emphasis has been recognised
by some traditional elements of the community, but the reality of these problems
has led to the acceptance of the need for Care Groups in the main. There has
been less recognition that some problems in fact may be caused BY some spiritual
deficiencies that the historical approach has - in particular the strong exclusivity,
denial of the need for God’s Spirit and the extreme intellectualism of the community.
In my experience there is also a big problem with depression, which in some cases
may be connected to non attendance.